How Lancashire Scouts Spent Last Days in Camp
(From Our Special Correspondent with the North-West Lancashire Contingent)
TUESDAY
JAMBOREE is over. It is quiet here to-day. There are no vistors, and we have been out visiting the Hague and Scheveningen (where we had a heavy shower of rain – the first since we came). I am told it rained heavily in the Jamboree camp this morning.
Rotterdam Dock
From Scheveningen we went to Rotterdam, the important shipping centre, where we spent a pleasant hour or so sailing around the docks and the River Mass. It was a fascinating sight passing the various craft on the water – tug boats, barges, ferry boats, liners and freight steamers – and looking at the huge cranes and buildings.
Later, we marched through the streets of the city, a contingent of British Scouts, 1,000 strong, headed by two mounted policemen, to the railway station to entrain for Vogelenzang.
Interested spectators halted on traffic islands and on the pavements as we passed; from the windows of houses, shops and offices, others waved greetings.
The weather was then quite fine and warm again. Back in camp, the quietness was noticeable. The market place was not so busy. And here and there tents, most of them belonging to Dutch Scouts, and were in position when we left at 6 20 a.m. this morning, had been taken down. The occupants had gone.
Although we had to be up at 5 a.m. this morning to catch an early train for our trip, good spirits prevailed. A little comedy was introduced into our departure. Passing from the camp, we were obliged to go through the arena, the scene of so many enthusiastic marches during the last few days.
On reaching the main stand and the Royal box, the leading ranks could not resist a cheer and with hats waving they passed the empty stands.
Memories
A Scout official on duty took the salute, much to the amusement of the boys. They had so often lately passed those stands, cheering, that the occasion fixed in their minds the enthusiasm of it all.
Jamboree is over, but it will linger long in memory – through the souvenirs bought and changed, the many snaps that have been taken, the log books that have been written up after each day, a storehouse for the future to which we can always go to remind us of the happy days in Holland.
We belong to a great Brotherhood, and to our beloved Chief we feel even more deeply attached after his moving farewell yesterday.
To-morrow we hope to go to Helder, the most northerly part of Holland, which is the naval port and seaplane base.
AKELA
Lancashire Daily Post 11 August 1937
